


because after all, I'm still a guy

by teddiebearie



Category: Dororo (Anime 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Non-Binary Character, Canon Trans Character, Gen, Non-Binary Hyakkimaru, Non-binary character, Trans Dororo, Trans Male Character, mild transphobia in last chapter jic you're uncomfortable with that!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-03-06 23:40:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18861304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teddiebearie/pseuds/teddiebearie
Summary: “I’m… a girl, but I’m also a guy?”His voice sounded hesitant, and it was then Hyakkimaru noticed he was looking down at his bowl instead of at him.“What’s a girl? Guy?”





	1. part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> canon divergent dororo's coming out fic, in three parts.  
> set after the anime ends, but I'm writing this after episode 18 and before episode 19 so some of it may not be canon to the anime's ending.  
> some of hyakkimaru's language is based off my (little) knowledge of japanese, so some of it may seem a little funky? bc like. you're not gonna speak fluently after not hearing, seeing or speaking for 16 years, so... I hope it makes sense?

“Hey, aniki?” Dororo’s unusually quiet voice broke the silence they’d been having, and Hyakkimaru turned to look at him. It’d only been recently that Hyakkimaru had gotten his sight back, and it was still weird to look upon the little child that had been accompanying him on his journey, even if it wasn’t the first time.

“Hm?”

“I… have something kinda important to tell you.”

Hyakkimaru sat up once he noticed the odd tone in Dororo’s voice. It had only been a year or so since he got his hearing back, so he was still learning to decipher tones in people’s voices, but Dororo’s voice seemed especially unlike him at that moment. Somber, maybe?

“I’m… a girl, but I’m also a guy?” 

His voice sounded hesitant, and it was then Hyakkimaru noticed he was looking down at his bowl instead of at him. If he weren’t so confused, he’d probably have frowned at what he was hearing and seeing.

“What’s a girl? Guy?”

“Huh?” Dororo nearly dropped his bowl in surprise and quickly whipped his head up to look at Hyakkimaru properly. 

Almost a minute passed without any movement on either part, and for a couple of seconds, Hyakkimaru debated on asking Dororo if he’d heard him properly. Instead, he opted to remain quiet and let Dororo reply when he felt like it.

Suddenly, though, Dororo broke out in laughter. “Nevermind, then,” he said as he clutched his stomach with one arm, his rice bowl having spilled onto the floor from how hard his other arm was shaking. Thankfully, it’d been mostly empty by then, so no mess was actually made. “Forget it!”

“Hm.”

“If anyone asks, though, I’m a guy, ok?” Although he’d stopped laughing out loud, his voice still rang with amusement. He’d picked his bowl back up by then, though he’d set it down again after picking up the fallen rice kernels.

And as Dororo wiped away a stray tear, Hyakkimaru replied, “Hm.”


	2. part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “But I’m not like you. And I’m not like Mio.”  
> “Uh.” Dororo’s head snapped back down, fixated on Hyakkimaru’s face. “Yeah, I guess you could be neither? I don’t see why not.”  
> “Hm.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sarashi is a type of bandage wrapping that was (and still is, I think?) commonly used in japan, except they're a lot less harmful than ace bandages if worn properly!  
> onna-bugeisha is basically a female samurai I think? they wore sarashi basically so.  
> also this takes place like. a couple of years after the end of the anime/last chapter.

“Ahh, I can’t believe we overslept!” Dororo scrambled from one side of the room to the other, splashing some water on his face.

The street outside the inn they were staying at was bustling with life, and the sun was already quite high in the sky, but Hyakkimaru didn’t particularly mind the hour they’d woken up at. Sleepily, he rubbed his eyes and stretched.

By the time he moved on to splashing some water on his face, Dororo had already stripped himself of his kimono and was wrapping sarashi around his midriff and chest. 

“Dororo?”

“Hm?” replied Dororo without turning, finishing folding the sarashi.

“Why do you wear sarashi?” 

A while ago, maybe a year or two, Dororo and Hyakkimaru had come across a onna-bugeisha. She’d been friendly enough, and Dororo had asked her how she got her chest to be so flat. After she answered that she used sarashi wrappings, Dororo had seemed elated and insisted on getting some for himself. Hyakkimaru hadn’t fully understood why, but if it made Dororo happy, then he didn’t care.

“Uhh, well…” Dororo paused, tying his kimono and turning. “I’m still a guy, right? But I have breasts, which most guys don’t have, so a lot of people wouldn’t really think of me as a guy, so I guess it’s just to not have to explain each time? And get respect. I don’t like them much, either, so…”

“Hm.”

Hyakkimaru didn’t really get it, and while his confusion didn’t show, Dororo could tell.

“Most people that have breasts are women, right? Most guys don’t really have breasts. So it’s easier for them—and me—to just use sarashi and lower my voice, since most women have higher voices than men. It suits me more, too, I like to think!” Dororo elaborated. He’d sat down by now and seemed more at ease than when he’d woken up.

“Ah.” Hyakkimaru still didn’t really get it, but if it made Dororo more comfortable then he supposed the rest didn’t really matter.

“Like you don’t have breasts, do you? But you’re still a guy.” Dororo pointed out.

There was a pause.

“What’s a guy?”

Dororo let out a chuckle but quickly tried to stifle it. “You know what, just listen to people when they tell you their gender and respect that, okay?”

“Okay.” He still didn’t really get it, but that made sense, he supposed. “What’s gender?”

“Whether someone’s a girl or a boy, silly.” Dororo replied, what seemed like amusement in his tone.

“And me?” Hyakkimaru asked, pointing a finger at himself.

“You?” Dororo blinked.

“Gender. And me?”

“Oh.” Dororo blinked again, though this time in what seemed reflection and not confusion. “I guess you’d be a guy, like me?”

“And girl?”

“Mio’s a girl, and so’s your mom. The Daigo lady, what’s her name again?” Dororo’s eyes lifted to the ceiling in thought.

Hyakkimaru’s voice picked up after a couple of quiet minutes. “But I’m not like you. And I’m not like Mio.”

“Uh.” Dororo’s head snapped back down, fixated on Hyakkimaru’s face. “Yeah, I guess you could be neither? I don’t see why not.”

“Hm.”

“Ah!” Dororo sprang up in an instant, startling Hyakkimaru lightly. “Crap, I forgot! It’s late, we should get going!”

“Hm.” 

After quickly packing up all their things—which were, admittedly, very little—the two went on their way.


	3. part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’re still a guy. Right?”  
> “Yeah?” Dororo replied, starting to eat again. “What brought _this_ on?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah the dream is a reference to the manga.  
> set sometime after the last chapter.

That was weird...

Hyakkimaru was fairly certain there wasn’t supposed to be a look-alike of him in front of him. The look-alike had different hair and looked fairly different in general, but he wore the same hairstyle and clothes. He didn’t seem to take note of Hyakkimaru himself, however, and instead was arguing with somebody who looked a lot like Dororo.

“I don’t kill women.” The dream-him said. He looked sage, as if he should be proud of what he was saying, and Hyakkimaru thought that if he perhaps understood gender and women better he might understand why.

“What?” Replied dream-Dororo. He didn’t look offended, just surprised.

“I don’t kill women!” dream-Hyakkimaru shouted back. He looked angry, and Hyakkimaru didn’t quite get it. Why was he arguing with Dororo of all people about this? He didn’t see anyone who looked like what Dororo had pointed out women looked like anywhere, so who could he possibly be talking about?

“Dororo, you’re a girl. I figured it out when I won my eyes back, but I kept quiet.” Dream-Hyakkimaru continued, looming over Dororo in a way that Hyakkimaru thought was meant to be intimidating. His dream-self’s words confused him, however. Wasn’t Dororo a guy?

“M… me a girl? Stop it… don’t mess around!” Replied dream-Dororo. He laughed afterwards, though it was nothing like Dororo’s usual happy and mischievous laughter. It sounded forced and uncomfortable, and Hyakkimaru didn’t like it.

“Could it be you don’t really know yourself?” Continued on his dream-self, which further confused Hyakkimaru. “Maybe your mom didn’t tell you that you’re a girl, so you’d grow up tough.” 

What’d that have to do with it?

“Shut up, I’m no girl!” Snapped back dream-Dororo, suddenly having regained his vigour.

Suddenly dream-him started to leave, climbing up a wall dream-Dororo couldn’t follow him up, leaving dream-Dororo with the parting words of “You grow up to be a fine lady.”

A sudden kick to the stomach woke Hyakkimaru up quickly, but he relaxed when he realised it was only Dororo. He’d ask him later, when he woke up, he decided, but for now he’d go back to sleep, and so he did.

The next morning, while they were sitting and eating breakfast, Hyakkimaru piped up. “Dororo.”

Dororo stopped talking and eating at the same time and looked straight at Hyakkimaru. “Yeah?”

“You’re still a guy. Right?”

“Yeah?” Dororo replied, starting to eat again. “What brought  _ this _ on?”

“Dream.”

“Uhh. What?” Dororo asked with a deadpan.

“Had a dream where someone like me told someone like you you’re a girl. Didn’t sound right.”

“Uhh yeah, sure didn’t. I’m definitely still a guy.” Dororo sounded a little mad, but after a couple seconds he started chuckling. “That’s such a weird dream though? Oh! But anyways, I hear there was this demon around town and I thought…”

“Hm.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> proof-read by a pal, thanks so much!!  
> that's the end!! thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!!!  
> also, if you liked this, please consider leaving a kudos!! it costs absolutely nothing, is super quick, and is really motivating!!


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